After Tempted
by DarkEyedFreak
Summary: My version of the next book in the HoN series Burned . Zoey is on a journey to try to piece her soul back together and return to the House of Night while Stark tries to struggle through the loss of his priestess and protects her body as much as he can
1. Chapter 1

_Stark_

I don't know how long I lay sobbing with Zoey's body in my arms… it seemed like for eternity. I felt a small nudge on my shoulder and looked up through my bloodshot eyes to see Darius talking to me. I focused more…

"… and I really think that this is the path our goddess chose for Zoey, so try to think more positive. She _will_ come back…"

"Maybe we should cast a circle so she has help from her elements, wherever she is," I heard Stevie Rae say. There were some nods and a vague rustling sound of people getting up. Shaunee, Erin, Damien and Stevie Rae took their places in the circle.

"You have to represent spirit for Zoey," Aphrodite said to me. I numbly got up and walked to the middle of the circle. I could hear voices asking the elements for their help, but it was all just a blur. I felt a tap, and someone tell me it was my turn.

"Spirit, I call on you to guide Zoey and protect her wherever she may be…" I whispered. I felt a strong surge of strength and support that flowed through my body. I could tell the others felt it too, because they gasped and a small smile lit their faces. What we weren't prepared for was the beautiful spirit that appeared before us.

"Listen closely my children…" the soothing voice I heard could only be assumed as Nyx. "As you already know, Zoey has left her body; though she may still be breathing. I ask for your help in keeping her body safe and protected. All will come together soon…"

"What happened to Zoey?!" Stevie Rae demanded.

"Patience my child, I cannot reveal all of my plan. Just keep Zoey safe…"

"Why are her markings gone?" Damien asked in a stressed voice.

Nyx smiled gently as she spoke her next words, "Sometimes, listening to your elders would be the best of choices."

"Grandma Redbird?" Aphrodite asked. Nyx just smiled and blew away with the wind.

"We must find Zoey's grandmother immediately," Darius said. "Stark, take Zoey to her room and make sure she is well protected." I nodded and started walking away when a warm hand touched my arm.

"Don't be scared Stark, she'll be okay. She's a strong girl," Jack said, his eyes tearing up again.

"I know Jack, I know," I said, turning around and bowing my head as tears leaked out of my eyes.

_Zoey_

"Zoey! No no no! Zoey, you can't be here! What happened?!" Heath yelled, running toward me. I struggled to remember how I had gotten in this place. Then it came rushing back…

"I… I saw Kalona kill you. I tried to stop him… but I was too late," I stuttered, starting to cry. Sobs racked my frame as Heath held me as if I was going to break into a million pieces.

"You can't be dead too Zoey, you can't!" Heath chanted.

"I… I don't think I am. I remember throwing my elements at Kalona and then… black. And I woke up here… is there any way to know what's going on with my body and stuff?"

"I have been here about two more seconds than you Zo, I have no clue," Heath said.

"I'm scared Heath…" I whispered into his chest.

"I know babe, so am I." After a few minutes of crying I felt the power of my elements within me. I gasped at the strength of my powers. As I closed my eyes I could see my body in the middle of a summoning circle. It was strange, like I was looking down on my body from someone else's point of view. _Stark!_ I was in Stark's mind. I could feel the pain that engulfed his body as he looked at my body. Wait, something was wrong… Nyx had left me. All that was left of her on my body was an outline of the cresent moon on my forehead.

"She… left me…" I cried out, sobbing harder into Heath's shirt.

"Who left you?"

"Nyx!! All my sapphire markings are gone!"

"Zo, they're still here. Look at your hands!" Heath said, grabbing my hands and lifting them up. I stared at the sapphire markings that were still on my hands.

"But… they aren't on my body..." I mumbled.

"What are you talking about Zo?"

"I closed my eyes, and starting seeing from Stark's point of view... all my markings were gone except for the outline of a crescent moon! But… why?" I pondered out loud. Then it hit me! Grandma… she had said that Nyx doesn't really mark your body but my _soul_! My soul must have left my body when I realized Heath had died…

"Heath!! Nyx marks my soul, not my body! They don't realize that… they think I'm dead! I need to get back… but how?"

"Maybe Nyx knows?" Heath suggested.

"Good idea," I whispered as I called out to Nyx. I asked for her to bring me just a few answers and to start pointing me in the right direction. I grinned as she answered my pleas. Her warm voice filled my head. _Zoey… my lovely child. You are the key to defeating Kalona. It is here that you must watch for him, he can go anywhere he wishes in this realm. _But how do I get out? _Find the thing you love most in this world. Hold on to it and remember what it's like. Embrace it, and let it fill you… the rest you shall do on your own._

"Zo?" Heath asked, shaking me.

"I have to do this on my own Heath, you have to stay here," I whispered, looking into his eyes.

"No, Zoey I'm staying here to protect you!"

"Heath, don't you get it? You can't help me here! Kalona can get to me any time he wants, and I'm raw here. I have to go back."

"But how?"

"I'm not completely sure…"

"Let me accompany you, my fair lady…" Heath said, bowing down and taking my hand. I giggled and accepted his valiant offer. "Where to?"

"I have to think of what I love most in the world… and then go to it I guess," I answered. He smiled and gave me a big ol' bear hug. So we sat on the bench and started thinking…


	2. Chapter 2

_Stark_

I walked to Zoey's room numbly, I couldn't stop replaying the moment when her soul shattered. So much pain… I finally lie her down on the mattress and gently pressed my lips to her crescent moon. I can't believe Nyx actually abandoned her, after everything Zoey had been through. But under Nyx's instruction I _will_ keep Zoey's body safe, no matter what it takes. I heard footsteps down the hall and saw Darius walking in with Aphrodite.

"Stark, we must go talk with Zoey's grandmother. Zoey will be fine here," he said. I nodded and planted one more kiss on Zoey's forehead and walked out the door. Wait! I had to protect her! I stopped dead in my tracks and started to turn around.

"What the hell Stark? We have to go talk to Grandma!" Aphrodite huffed.

"I have to protect Zoey," I whispered. Wow, I sounded like crap! _Get yourself together Stark! _I thought to myself. _Zoey will be fine, even Nyx said so. You can do this! Be strong for her…_

"Zoey is safe Stark, come on," Darius commanded. I returned to Darius' side, walking to who knows where. Soon enough we got to a phone and Darius and Aphrodite told Grandma Redbird the whole story. I stayed silent the whole time, trying to block out the thought that Zoey was no longer here.

"Is Stark there?" I heard Zoey's Grandmother ask.

"Yes," I answered.

"Good, you must keep Zoey safe at all costs. I know your goddess has already told you this, and I'm not positive what she has in store for Zoey. But I do know that she is strong, and she will make it through it."

"Why are her markings gone Grandma?" Aphrodite asked, though she tried to hide it, I could hear that she was worried too.

"I remember speaking to Zoey about this a few days ago. She was worried about being a reincarnation of A-ya and we agreed that your body is just a shell for your soul. And Zoey agreed that Nyx does not mark your body; she marks your soul. So when Zoey's soul shattered, I can only assume that her markings left her body with it. I do not know much more, but do not forget to take care of Zoey's human body," Grandma explained. Slowly it was starting to make sense… of course Zoey would be strong enough to get back to her body. Her body just has to be strong too.

"Thank you Grandma Redbird," I said into the phone, I tried to keep my voice emotionless but I didn't succeed.

"Stark… oh dear you must be in great pain," she said softly. Hot tears once again were threatening to spill out of my already bloodshot eyes. I quickly blinked them away and reminded myself I had to be strong for Zoey. "Listen Stark, try to ask Zoey's element to help you. I'm sure they will obey you to a certain extent, considering Zoey is no longer with us."

"I will Grandma," I said, hope filling me and spilling out. I now could understand why Zoey always went to her grandmother when she wasn't feeling right. Grandma Redbird made everything okay, she was like an angel.

"Good, good. Now it is time for me to get my rest, I'm getting older by the second and I'm not as strong as I once was," Grandma said. It was then that I realized how tired and strained her voice sounded. I prayed to Nyx that Zoey's grandmother would not leave us before Zoey came back. I fear that she would not make it through that loss.

"Stark, I think you should rest too," Darius recommended to me softly. I nodded and walked down the hall back to Zoey's room. Why couldn't everything be okay? I internally sighed and layed down next to Zoey. I slowly drifted into darkness…

_Zoey_

"So, you have to find the things that are most important to you? Well, one of them is me right?" Heath asked.

"Yeah, I think that's why my hands are still marked," I replied, pacing back and forth. I was pretty sure the grass would be dead by the time I stopped.

"Well, your crescent moon is filled in and your face still has all your markings too."

"Nyx talked to me; that could be the reason for those ones. Now I just have to find the rest… why did this happen to me? Ugh, I just don't understand!" I screeched. Wow, this was really unlike me. All this stress is really getting to my head. I really needed to calm down and get myself together! I stopped pacing and sat on the bench next to Heath.

"I don't know babe, but I know you're strong enough to be okay," Heath whispered into my hair. I sat there for who knows how long in his arms when my vision went black.

"Heath!" I shouted, I could feel the hot tears rolling down my cheeks. I couldn't see!

"Zo? Zo! What's wrong?!" He shouted, shaking my shoulders a little bit.

"I can't see!" I sobbed, but then I started to see the House of Night. It was really strange, I was in my bedroom and then Stark walked in.

"Zoey?" He whispered, barely audible. Sort of like he thought I could be a ghost. I nodded and leaped into his arms, so happy to be in his arms once again.

"Oh Stark! I don't know what's happening, this is all probably my imagination! But my markings are gone and I think I have to find everything I love the most in the world to return to my body. I don't know how though Stark!" I started crying at the end, and sobs racked my slender frame.

"Shh, shh. You're strong, you're going to be okay. Don't give up Zoey, I'll protect you," Stark whispered into my ear while he cradled me. I felt an all too familiar burning sensation across my chest and leaped up, grinning like an idiot.

"Of course it's you Stark!" I shouted, kissing him with all I could.

"What?" he asked, obviously confused at my outburst.

"I got my markings back!" I pulled my shirt down a little bit so the sapphire tattoos that covered my scar were visible.

"You're so beautiful," Stark whispered, running his fingers down the ugliest part of my body. I quickly pulled my shirt back up, a scar was hardly beautiful. I looked up to see Stark slowly fading away.

"Stark?!" I yelled, running for him.

"I was simply dreaming Zoey, and now I have to go," he said, planting one last kiss on my lips and then fading.

My vision quickly returned to normal and I was once again on the bench next to Heath.

"Zo? Are you okay?!" he asked frantically. I nodded and started walking off towards the woods.

"How are we going to find the things I love the most if we sit around and do nothing?" I pondered aloud.

"I don't think this is a good idea Zo, let's just go back," Heath mumbled, taking my hand and gently pulling me backwards.

"No Heath, I have to do this," I said, pulling him forward instead. After a few hours of stumbling around we came upon a clearing… the one I've been seeing in my dreams with Kalona. "Heath we have to get out of here!" I said, quickly walking backwards.

"It's a little too late for that, my sweet A-ya." The voice was unmistakably perfect and seductive, and I turned around to face the reason I was here.

Kalona.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys :) I'm sooo sorry it took me so long to update. I know the chapter is really short, but I'm trying to figure out what to do with Stark and stuff. Hopefully in the next few chapters Stevie Rae will join the story :D **

_Stark_

I awoke with a start, the memory of Zoey's soft skin on mine still vivid in my mind. I looked at the clock 9:48, we should have enough time to get back to the House of Night. I quickly started packing my bag, along with Zoey's. I glanced over at her body, her mouth had turned slightly upward sometime during the night. Hopefully she was doing good wherever she was. Just as I was about to open the door Damien walked in.

"I hope you don't mind, I came to see Zoey. Oh, and we're leaving to go back to the House of Night in an hour… because some of us are still fledglings," Damien said, walking towards the bed.

"She's doing okay I guess… I think she's in a different realm or something. I was talking to her in my dream lastnight," I told Damien.

"What!" he exclaimed, jumping up from the bed.

"Yeah, it didn't last long at all though; a minute max. She seemed to be searching for things to get her marks back. We didn't really have enough time to talk about it."

"Well, this time try to get more information. We probably need as much as we can get. Now come on I'll finish packing Zoey's stuff, you get her to the car."

I nodded and gently picked up Zoey's body, trying to avoid Damien's curious stare. "What?" I asked, still holding Zoey.

"You hold her like she's a porcelain doll," he commented.

"Well, she kind of is!" I almost yelled, infuriated that he would think Zoey would be any less fragile than a doll.

"Sorry, it's just… she's still a vampyre Stark. If she falls or trips or whatever, she's still going to be okay. You don't have to stress as much."

"I'm not stressing," I snapped, walking out of the door and out into the cold night. I felt Zoey shiver and realized Damien was right; I would have to start treating her like a regular vampyre even if she wasn't here. I wrapped my coat around her and set her down into the car, buckling her in. Tears threatened to spill out of my eyes once again as I looked at her limp body. I quietly got inside next to her and waited for the others to fill up the rest of the seats. Soon we were on our way to the airport, and I tried to sleep again… to see Zoey. I thought about what Grandma Redbird had been telling me about asking spirit for help. I don't want to do it in front of everyone though… I'll wait until we get to the House of Night.

Soon enough we were getting onto the plane and I once again buckled Zoey into the seat next to me. I started thinking about how much Heath had meant to Zoey… would he be with her? Where was Kalona? Why did Zoey have to die to kill him?! Soon a soothing voice filled my head and the last thing I heard before the darkness was, _'Sleep dear warrior, Zoey is strong.'_

_Zoey_

"I see that even death could not keep you apart from your consort," Kalona said, walking up to me.

"Leave Heath alone!" I yelled, fed up with all Kalona's crap.

"Chill Zo, I can protect myself here. I can even protect you," Heath calmly said, grinning at me.

"My sweet A-ya, your goddess must not love you if you are dead. Come with me," Kalona's voice was so tempting, and I almost took a step forward. _NO!_ my mind screamed , I frantically started backing up into Heath… but it wasn't fast enough. In two long strides Kalona was less than 6 inches away from me. I felt his cold touch along my cheek, and my body quickly responded.

"Zo, be strong," Heath whispered into my ear.

"Leave us be!" Kalona screamed as he flung Heath back into a tree. Thick ropes appeared and quickly tied him up so he could not move or speak.

"You know you want me, just give in. Leave your goddess, seeing as she has already left you," Kalona murmered into my ear. His wings enclosed me and were brushing against my arms, the cold making me shiver. "Make me warm, A-ya." All I could do to resist him was shake my head and keep repeating Nyx's name in my mind. But soon, his hands were travelling down my body and under my shirt. I squirmed in his grasp, and I couldn't deny the pull I had for him. _That's it!_ Even though _I_ didn't love Kalona, _A-ya _did! And so I relaxed into Kalona's arms and let myself enjoy his cold touch. As he planted kisses along my neck I could feel him smile, he thought he was victorious. But I could also hear the muffled screams that came from a tree behind me, and I wanted with all my heart to explain to Heath what was happening.

Kalona continued trailing kisses up and down my body, and soon my shirt had been discarded. My heart sped ahead, anticipating what would come next; but Kalona gently kissed me. I was confused at first, but then I understood. He wanted _me_ to lead… so I deepened our kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck. His hands explored my welcoming body, leaving trails of fire across my skin. Once I had finally gave in and responded to Kalona's touch I felt an all too familiar burning along my waist and back.

Surprisingly, pulling away from Kalona was easier than I expected. I quickly put my shirt back on and ran back to Heath; untying him.

"A-ya?" Kalona shouted, furious that I had stopped.

"I'm not A-ya. And I've told you before. You are pure evil Kalona, and I will _never_ love you like A-ya did," I responded, turning my back to him and walking away.

"You can't do this!" Kalona screamed, trying to grab my wrist as he followed me through the woods. I finally turned around to face him.

"No Kalona, YOU can't do this! You can't destroy innocent peoples' lives just for pleasure. You are going to _die_ Kalona, and I will be the one to do it."

"You are going to be very sorry Zoey Redbird, because you will only live to see the death of your loved ones," was all Kalona said before he flew up into the air and out of sight. I turned around and looked for Heath, but he was no where to be found.

"Heath?" I shouted, running back to the clearing. I panicked, what had happened to Heath? As I got back to the clearing I saw him sitting on a log with his head in his hands. "Heath?" I said softly. He smacked my hand away and looked up at me.

"What the hell Heath?" I snapped.

"What do you mean what the hell?! I just saw you almost fuck a fallen angel! How about you try explaining that to me?" Heath yelled in my face. I had never seen Heath this way, and to tell you the truth I was scared.

"It's hard to explain Heath, but I promise it was only to get back to the House of Night. Look, I got my markings back," I replied, lifting up my shirt and turning around.

"Damn Zo, I'm so sorry… I don't know what came over me. I just thought… that you had given up. And I never thought you were that kind of person," Heath whispered, hugging me.

"I'm not Heath…" I whispered, hugging him back.

"So what markings are you still missing?" He asked observing my body.

"Just the ones on my face… the ones I got first," I replied.

"You got the ones on your scar back?" Heath asked surprised.

"Yeah, I saw Stark in his dream… and I got them back when we talked for a minute."

"Okay, well lets walk off all this stress. You need a break Zo, I never thought someone could look so bad here," Heath said, standing up with me and walking in a random direction.


	4. Authors' Note

_**Author's Note**_**: **_Hey guys __ Just wanted to let you know that if I don't update tomorrow or Friday the next chapter might not be up for a few weeks. I have mid terms in 2 weeks so I have to study __ I'll try to squeeze in a new chapter soon though! Thanks for reading my story everyone, I didn't think it was going to do this good !! 3_

_xoxo,_

_DarkEyedFreak_


	5. Chapter 4

**ZOMG!! Most of this chapter is gonna be from Stark's POV. Wooo! :D And then... –drum roll- STEVIE RAE!!! Woooo! :O Hopefully this chapter will be longer than the others. :) Hope you enjoy :D**

_Stark_

By the time we got back to the House of Night I had slept off most of the day and the sun was just setting. I stepped out of the jet and felt a not too welcoming surprise facing me.

"What's wrong with Zoey?!" … it was Erik. What made him think that he could wait for Zoey here? The only thing keeping me from shooting an arrow right through his pea sized brain was Stevie Rae's accented voice.

"Zoey!" she gasped, running up to me.

"Fuck off Erik," I heard Aphrodite say as she stepped off the jet with Darius. Aphrodite started an argument with Erik as the rest of the crew got off the jet.

"Hey Stevie Rae, can you go get me a blood bag or two while I take Zoey up to your room?" I whispered to Stevie Rae.

"Oh! Yeah, of course!" Stevie Rae replied before heading off to get me a drink. I had forgotten how much I really needed blood until the weakness started to take a strain on my body. Zoey was getting heavier and heavier by the minute; I could barely carry her to her room. I gently laid her down on the bed and covered her up with a blanket. I turned around as I heard the door open and sighed in relief as Stevie Rae came in with some blood bags.

"Thanks," I mumbled before chugging them.

"I brought us some sandwiches and stuff too… I wasn't sure if Zoey could eat," Stevie Rae said, handing me two turkey sandwiches.

"Brown pop?" I asked, grinning.

"Of course, it's Zoey we're taking care of right? She would be mad if we made her drink anything else!" Stevie Rae replied, giggling a little bit. "So what happened?" she asked quietly while I tried to feed Zoey a sandwich.

"Heath overheard Kalona and Neferet talking, and before he could get Zoey Kalona grabbed him. Zoey could feel it through her imprint and started to run to save him, and I could feel Zoey's feelings through my Warrior Oath. Then Kalona snapped Heath's neck and Zoey's soul just… shattered," I explained. I didn't even have enough tears to cry as I told Stevie Rae what happened, but she did. Stevie Rae just burst right into tears as soon as I told her Heath died, and she ran over to hug me.

"It has to be so hard for you Stark!" she whispered, wiping her tears away.

"Yeah, well it is. But I'm sick of people sympathizing for me. Zoey is strong and Nyx knows what she's doing, so Zoey is going to be strong and come back to us." I said, getting kind of angry. I really was sick of people being sorry for me, I'm a strong person and I will make it through this.

"I understand. Look, I gotta head to class and stuff okay? If you leave Zoey here make sure you lock the door behind you. I don't want anyone stealing her or something weird like that."

"Yeah, yeah. Of course!" I exclaimed, surprised that Stevie Rae would think that I was going to be reckless with Zoey.

"Alrighties see ya later Stark," Stevie Rae called out while she walked out the door. I looked down at Zoey and brushed the hair out of her face. Looking around I saw a few books, maybe I could read them to her? I picked them up and looked at the titles. Odd, there were none. So I opened one of them and wished I wouldn't have. They were all Stevie Rae's diaries… I shouldn't be reading this! I tore my eyes off the pages and threw them back on the floor. How was I supposed to occupy my time? _Knock knock_, well that's convenient. I got up to open the door and was shocked to see Erik's face.

"Look, I know you're really pissed at me, but can you tell me what's wrong with Zoey? Is she gonna be okay?" he asked, looking behind me towards her. I pushed him out of the room and shut the door behind me.

"Obviously Aphrodite's little chat with you wasn't enough. I'm not the only one pissed at you, every single one of Zoey's friends are. You are man whore and shouldn't even be here anymore. You're lucky I don't have my bow right now or I'd stick an arrow right through your disgusting heart. You _don't_ treat _anyone_ like you treated Zoey. You're a conniving bastard and need to get out of her life. You ruined your relationship with her, Erik. So suck it up and deal with the consequences. Come back and I _will_ kill you without a second thought," I shouted in his face. I wasn't dealing with this guy anymore. No one gets to treat Zoey like that; she didn't deserve any of it.

"Do you know who you're talking to?! I could strangle you right now! Let me go see my girlfriend!" Erik shouted back.

"She's not your girlfriend anymore, remember? Go cry to Venus, you seem to like her quite a bit. Maybe for just this moment you could stop being a complete ass hole and let Zoey go, it would be the best for both of you," I answered.

"Really? Best for the both of us? Are you sure it wouldn't be the best for _you_?"

"Are you really going to do this Erik? Whether you like it or not, Zoey has let go. And you need to too," I replied, going back in the room and slamming the door in his face. I went next to Zoey and stroked her face. "I'm sorry," I whispered, lying down next to her. _What?_ I lifted up the blanket and sure enough there was a warm yellow circle surrounding Zoey's bottom half. Ugh, she had peed. I lifted her up and set her down in the bath, and went back to clean the sheets. Poop too?!! What kind of joke was this? I wasn't here to clean up Zoey's crap… literally!

I sighed and took the sheets off the bed and put them in a black garbage bag, then placing the garbage bag by the door. I went back to the tub and turned on the water, filling it up. Then I slipped off my clothes and got in the tub with Zoey. I hope she doesn't mind, it's not like I could do anything else… I don't want her to drown. I found a loofah and soap and started washing Zoey up, trying to avert my eyes once I got to her… feminine areas. I was unsuccessful; blindly scrubbing someone's body wasn't the easiest thing to do. After I cleaned myself as well I drained the water and wrapped a towel around Zoey, carrying her to Stevie Rae's bed. I quickly dressed Zoey, trying not to linger on her scar. I ran my finger down it and her body shivered, whether from pleasure or the cold I couldn't tell. I finished dressing us and went to wash the sheets.

By the time I returned to the room it was almost sunrise, and Stevie Rae still wasn't back. I quickly made Zoey's bed and laid her under the covers. I leaned over and turned the lamp off. I don't remember when I finally dozed off, but I do know that Stevie Rae had still not returned.

_Stevie Rae_

As soon as I got out of my last class I ran off to the depot, hoping I would get there before the sun did. I really hope Zoey gets back to her body soon, I hate keeping this whole thing a secret. I don't know what to do with Rephaim **(A/N: Is that his name? I can't remember)**… our imprint has gotten stronger. I can even read his thoughts now, and vice versa. It isn't the most comforting thing ever… and he hasn't let me drink from him again. His blood was just so… rich. I can't explain it right, but I've been craving more ever since that first time.

I haven't really been able to visit him, I have to avoid suspicion. Though, I have heard his thoughts and they don't sound too good. He really wants to warn Kalona about Neferet, but I'm not too sure about him leaving. And he has no clue about our imprint, poor Rephaim. So confused!

I finally arrived at the place Rephaim was staying, hopefully he wouldn't be angry or anything.

"Stevie Rae?" He asked. He actually sounded pretty good!

"Yep, how ya doin?" I asked, walking over to him. He was lying in a cot he must've found with a bottle of water next to him.

"I need to go back to my father. He is in great danger. This Neferet is much stronger than she may seem, and I fear she will manipulate him," Rephaim replied, worry filling his voice.

"Listen, your father is in Italy but I don't know how you're going to get there. You said you can't fly anymore…" I replied, looking at his arm. It was pretty much healed and he was moving it around and such.

"I do not need to be reminded of my losssssss," Rephaim snapped. Hmm, must be a soft spot. I'll keep that in mind.

"Sorry, but I need to explain something to you. We're imprinted; do you know what that means?" I explain.

"I have a vague definition of it. It wouldn't hurt if you could explain it a little bit better?" he replied.

"It's when a vampyre feeds off a human or creature and forms a connection with them. In our case I think it's a…. physical relationship as well as mental. Have you been hearing my voice inside your head lately?" I try to explain. Rephaim nodded and looked at me curiously. "Those are my thoughts, and I can hear yours as well. With the imprint only your blood greatly appeals to me now. We can break it but it is very painful, trust me."

"I don't think that is necessary, I'm fine with this imprint thing. It givesss me a better look at you," Rephaim said. I shuddered at the thought of him being able to read everything I'm thinking.

"I have a question… did it feel… good when I drank your blood?" I asked timidly.

"It did not feel bad, kind of nice. A warm fuzzy feeling inside, something I've never felt before," Rephaim answered, obviously not bothered by the question. Hopefully my next one wouldn't bother him either.

"Can I try again?" I asked, looking into his strangely human eyes.

"Of coursssse," he said, holding his arm out for me. I was surprised by how okay he was with this whole thing. I slowly took his arm and sliced it with my nail. I could hear him gasp in pain, and I started to worry. But as soon as the taste of his blood hit my tongue my senses went crazy. I gripped his arm tighter and closed my mouth around the cut. I almost jumped out of my skin as I heard a strange gurgling sound come from Rephaim. I pulled away, and looked into his eyes. The thing that surprised me most was when he gently pulled my head back down to his arm. I drank just a pint more and pulled back, savoring the taste.

"Was that okay?" I asked, wiping my mouth on my sleeve.

"Oh yesssss," Rephaim answered, his eyes still closed. I licked his cut and it slowly stopped bleeding and closed. "Come back tomorrow," Rephaim begged, finally opening his eyes.

"I will try," I answered, heading back for the door.

"Goodbye Stevie Rae," I heard from behind me.

"Goodbye Rephaim," I answered. I looked up at the sky, and I could see an orange tint on the horizon. I quickly ran back to the House of Night, hoping the sun wouldn't burn me again… that was not an experience I wanted to endure again.

I quietly opened up the door to my room and slipped into bed, closing the blinds before I did. Soon enough I was engulfed in a peaceful sleep. **(A/N: Okay, sorry Stevie Rae's part wasn't that long… best I could do for now)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Sorry I haven't updated in forever, I've been super busy. Midterm week :( I was studying 24/7, but now I can update :D Hope you like it, woohoo for cliff hangers ;) Reviews keep me going, so please take a minute to write one! 3**

_Zoey_

As we walked along the shores of a beach (don't ask me how we got to a beach, it just appeared) I kept trying to think about what I really need in my life. Besides who I had already discovered… maybe all my friends? Ergh, I had hit yet another brain block. This really wasn't the easiest thing on my to-do list. I gently smiled as I felt Heath starting to hold my hand. This whole scene would be really romantic if I wasn't worried about how the heck I was supposed to get out of here.

"Don't stress so much Zo," Heath said, looking down at me.

"I just don't know what to do… I still have one piece of my soul not here! And I don't know where it is," I replied, looking out towards the horizon.

"I don't think the sun ever sets here… just one long day lasting on forever," Heath commented.

"Great. Now I know that I have eternity to be stuck down here while everyone up there ages and lives their life worrying about me," I said, sighing. I sat down on a huge rock we had just [almost] passed and tried to think.

"Zo, even you said we can't just sit around for something to hit us in the face. Come on," Heath told me, pulling me up onto my feet.

"Yeah, I think we've been on this beach too long anyways. Let's follow that river up there," I offered, heading up towards a nice stream type thing. It kind of reminded me of one not too far away from my grandma's house.

"Have you had any visions of Stark or anyone else lately?" Heath asked, helped me up past a root.

"No, but I could probably be able to get into their heads or something right now if I tried. I don't really know, I haven't experimented much down here…" I answered, pondering the idea of being able to talk to Stark whenever I wanted.

"How about you try it? Someone might be able to give you some clues," Heath suggested, sitting down with me on the ground. I actually had no clue how I could contact Stark, so I just closed my eyes and thought about him. They way he smells wonderful and always protecting me, and his red crescent moon and arrows on his forehead. Before I knew it I was in my bedroom in the House of Night. I looked over and saw Stevie Rae's bed empty, but Erik was laying next to me sleeping. My body looked so… empty! I tapped Stark on the shoulder and ended up falling through his body. Before I could recover I was on the beach again, but this time only Stark was there with me.

"Zoey!" he called, running towards me.

"Hey Stark!" I whispered, hugging him tightly.

"I was hoping to see you here. Do you know when you're going to get back? Cause you can't really control your bodily fluids… you kind of need a diaper," he grinned when he said the last part.

"Well that isn't really my problem right now," I winked before I went on. "I only have one last piece of my soul I need to find but I have no clue who or what it is! One was you, Heath, Nyx, and Kalona but I still need to find another piece. It has to be something that means the world to me, and if it went away I would be crushed."

"You kind of just described your Grandma Redbird…" Stark said, putting a piece of hair back behind my ear. I shivered at his touch; I had missed it so much.

"Stark?" I asked timidly, looking up into his eyes. They were dark with some intense emotion I couldn't pick out.

"Yeah," he answered in a husky voice.

"I really missed you," I whispered quietly. I wasn't really prepared for his reaction. He grabbed me closer and hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe. But when I tried to pull away he attacked my mouth with his. It wasn't the worst feeling in the world… actually, it felt really good. Soon enough we were all tangled up in the sand, and his hands were _all_ over my body. My hands were in his luscious hair just as he started to fade.

"Damnit, this always happens!" he yelled frustrated, trying to grab back onto me.

"I was in your dreams again, right?" I asked. I could see a faint nod before he completely faded away. I looked down at my clothes to make sure Heath wasn't too suspicious. I brushed all the sand out and repositioned my shirt. I looked at my reflection in the water. Aside from the semi-swollen lips I looked pretty good. So I closed my eyes and returned to my body.

"Zoey? You were passed out forever, I was starting to worry. Did you learn anything?" he asked. Crap! I was trying to get past the intense make out session with Stark. Grandma!!!

"Yeah, I think I have to go see my grandma… or something like that," I replied, getting up and brushing off my clothes.

"We can go to her lavender farm, that's probably a good spot right?" Heath suggested.

"Yeah! Heath, you're amazing," I said, hugging him. I felt his arms gently wrap around me as he mumbled something I couldn't hear into my hair. I remembered a stream close to my grandma's lavender farm, so I headed towards the direction it should be in. After a while I saw an all too familiar trail and a stained rock. I smiled and knelt down touching the spot where my journey as a vampyre had just begun.

"What's with the rock?" Heath asked, looking at me as if I were some kind of alien.

"I was coming up to see my grandma when I had gotten marked and the sun made me so weak I fell and hit my head. It's the first time I spoke to Nyx too. I never really thought of it as an important spot until now," I whispered, standing up and walking along the path. Soon I could see the rows and rows of lavender and the comforting smell wrapped around me. I squinted into the distance and could see a small figure walking towards us.

"God no, please. Please, don't do this to her," I heard Heath whisper, trying to hold me closer to him.

"Heath, what's wrong?" I asked. I looked up to see my grandma walking towards me with a huge smile across her face.

"Zoeybird, I am so proud. You have come so far since you first hit your head on that rock," she said, hugging me.

"Grandma!" I yelled happily, hugging her back. I hadn't seen her in so long, it was nice that I could finally talk to her. But wait… _NO!!_ I can't explain how fast the tears seemed to flow down my face as I pulled away from my grandmother. She gently stroked my face and whispered soothing words to me. **(A/N: Sorry for that guys :( I'm almost crying too)**

"I was released peacefully in my sleep my dear U-we-tsi-a-ge-ya. Do not fret, Nyx has taken my soul for a reason. You must return now to your body and complete the quest she has laid out for you. I have helped you as much as I can Zoeybird. Remember my wisdom and my spirit, and I will always be with you," she said, touching my heart with her frail fingers. I sobbed and sobbed into her shoulders for what seemed as eternity. I finally pulled away and looked into my grandma's eyes. My heart swelled at what I saw and I knew that she was right. Her eyes showed so much passion and pride I almost broke down in tears again.

"I know grandma, I love you," I whispered, as everything around me started fading. I looked back at Heath and I saw love and compassion as he blew me a kiss goodbye. Then it was black.

_Stark_

I was walking along a sunny beach and the sand squished between my toes as the water lapped at my ankles. I heard a popping sound and turned around to see the most wonderful person in the world; Zoey. I ran up and hugged her so tight I'm pretty sure she couldn't breathe, and then I let her go with a huge grin on my face.

"Hey, you know when you're getting back? You kind of need a diaper now-a-days," I said, grinning.

"I don't know, I need to find one last part of my soul. Someone I couldn't ever live without, I would be crushed if they left," she replied, immediately getting serious.

"You just described Grandma Redbird," I said, looking down at her. She looked so much livelier in my dreams, so much more color and her markings were still there. I never really realized how much I actually _love _her until she was gone.

"I really missed you," I heard her mumble shyly, looking down at our feet. I scooped her up into a passionate kiss, not willing to control my emotions any longer. I let my hands roam her body as we fell into the sand, but I felt my grip slipping as I started to wake up.

"Damnit! This always happens!" I yelled out, frustrated. I nodded to Zoey's fading figure as she asked if I was dreaming.

I opened my eyes to see the ceiling of Zoey's room, and I felt the sheets to see if Zoey had leaked any fluids while I was asleep. Nope, she was clean. Just as I got up the door flew open and Erik ran in. I was about to kick him in the groin but his frantic tone and erratic breathing worried me.

"It's Grandma Redbird, come quick," he managed to say between gasps of air. All rational thoughts flew out of my head once I realized Zoey's Grandma was in danger. I flew past Erik and downstairs where I found the 'Nerd Herd' gathered around a phone with looks of panic and extreme worry etched on their faces, including Aphrodite.

"What's wrong?" I almost screamed, grabbing the phone.

My heart almost stopped beating as I heard a fading voice whisper, "Tell Zoey I love her…" I looked around the crowd and saw bloodshot eyes and dried/fresh tears running down faces.

"She died." I stated blatantly, trying not to accept the truth. When Zoey comes back she is going to literally kill herself.

"Yeah, she called and seemed in a lot of pain. I used my element to call everyone else, they were like speed demons," Damien sniffled, holding on to Jack who was sobbing like a baby. And I was too, so I'm not going to be the one to judge.

"Zoey isn't ever going to be able to defeat Kalona now. We needed Grandma Redbird," Aphrodite whispered, hanging up the phone.

"Don't be pessimistic," Stevie-Rae said, trying to lighten the mood. I saw faint smiles at her attempt, but even she was still trying to grasp onto reality.

"Grandma Redbird was Zoey's everything…" Shaunee whispered, but Erin's voice never followed. I looked up to see her sitting in a chair with tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Listen, we have to be strong for Zoey. When she gets back we can't just be depressed, we have to help her get back together," Darius said, his voice strong and inspiring. I looked over to him and saw only his scar and strong, determined eyes. He hadn't cried at all, like a real man. I give him kudos for that, but when I looked deeper I could see a touch of worry and concern.

"I hope she is strong enough to get through this…" Damien said, looking at the table.

"I am," we all spun around at the sound of Zoey's beautiful voice.

**BUM BUM BUMMMM. Hope you guys liked it :) I apologize again for taking soooo long to update 3 R/R!**


	7. Another Authors' Note : Sorry!

**Okay, so I'm thinking about writing this story since the idea just popped into my head. Tell me if you think I should continue it. This excerpt type thing is kind of like what you would read on the back of a book, soooo R/R! And sorry for putting this in the middle of my House of Night fanfic, I just wanted to make sure you guys read it xD**

The golden fields appeared to me once again in my dreams, with the same man beckoning me to follow him. His bright green eyes gently locked on to mine, as if he could somehow _make_ me follow him. It would never work, and every time he would get frustrated and leave, and then I would wake up drenched in sweat. Little did I know, this was the last time this vision would ever appear to me.

My name is Maialynn, and in a few moments you are going to witness the beautiful nightmare my life has become.


	8. I'm back!

Aishh! I have absolutely no excuses for the extended absence! As all of you probably know, Burned came out a while ago [I thought it was pretty good…. but my version was totally different. Hehe] so I'm going to discontinue this fanfiction I'm going to continue with my other story though, and the first chapter should be up today! Once again, I am SOOOOOOOO sorry! I've been unbelievably busy and then my computer died and I lost all my stories and etc. and I was crushed Anyways, I'm back! So if you're even still following me or whatever, look forward to new stories 3


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